1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
Some image forming apparatuses, such as copiers, printers, or facsimile machines, include a fixing device including a heating device for heating a fixing roller, with the heating device divided into a plurality of portions.
In the fixing device, the heating device for heating the fixing roller may be divided into a plurality of portions in a direction perpendicular to a direction of transporting a recording medium, such that the portions of the heating device independently heat a plurality of respective portions of the fixing roller. In such a fixing device, it is possible to control the heating device to heat the fixing roller such that the temperature of a portion of the fixing roller corresponding to a blank area (non-image area) of the recording medium (i.e., an area not formed with an image that is to be fixed on the recording medium) is lower than the temperature of a portion of the fixing roller corresponding to an image area of the recording medium (i.e., an area formed with an image that is to be fixed on the recording medium), thereby reducing the power consumption of the fixing device.
In such a fixing device, however, the portion of the fixing roller corresponding to the blank area of the recording medium is not heated to a fixing temperature. If for some reason toner happens to adhere to the blank area of the recording medium, therefore, the recording medium is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus with the toner unfixed on the recording medium, preventing formation of a favorable image and staining a hand of a person touching the recording medium.